Pre-E3 2008: Fable II Pub Games Hands-On

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What happens in Albion stays in Albion.

By Hilary Goldstein

The original Fable sold more than three million copies on Xbox. Many of those who purchased the game were keenly aware of one glaring omission -- there were no casino-style games. Fortunately, Peter Molyneux and crew are remedying this oversight for the sequel with Fable II Pub Games. The XBLA title, set to arrive in August, offers three gambling mini-games to suck away your time (and your characters' cash) until Fable II hits stores later in the year. Here's the cool thing: the money and items earned in Pub Games carries over into Fable II, meaning you can amass a fortune this summer and buy all of Albion in the fall.

Fable II Pub Games can either be played with your Fable II hero or with one of a half-dozen regular pub crawlers. The catch is that until you own Fable II, you're not going to have a hero to call your own. So when you download Pub Games in August, you have no choice but to pick one of the pre-made characters. It doesn't matter who you choose -- it's just a name and a snazzy piece of concept art. Consider this character a surrogate for your future Fable II hero. They are just there to earn cash and items for the real star of the show.

Once Fable II is in your hands, you'll be able to take your hero and "merge" them with your Pub character. This isn't as dramatic as it sounds. All it means is that your Fable II hero absorbs the earnings, debt, and ranking of the Pub character. It's like passing the baton. In this way you can spend time earning money and items in Pub Games with the assurance that all of it will be bequeathed to your Fable II character at some point.

Pub Games gives you three ways to earn (or lose) some coin. You can play any of three games -- Fortune's Tower, Keystone, and Spinnerbox. You start with the ability to play one table of each game and at very low stakes. But each piece of gold you spend earns you one experience point for your character. It doesn't matter if you win a million bucks or lose the shirt off your back -- bet a coin, earn one XP. Gambling isn't about skill, after all, it's about persistence. Play until you are either broke or rich, but the key is to keep gambling.

As you gain experience, you'll unlock up to three variants for each game as well as higher limit tables. And you'll gain rankings. Each star rank you earn opens a new tournament level. Tournaments are where you go up against a group of AI (sorry, no multiplayer) in an attempt to win it big. Place in a tournament and you win one of 15 unique items that instantly transfer to your character in Fable II. Obviously the higher and tougher the tournament, the better the item.

These items range from health items to tattoos to powerful weapons. Here's just a sampling from the 15 unlockable items:

Item

Description

Value

Avo's Own Apple Pie

They say an apple a day keeps the healer away, but these apples do far more. This incredibly delicious concoction not only fully heals you – even in the middle of combat! – but causes you to lose weight instead of gain it. There's nothing humble about this pie!

$80

"Deepest Dark" Box of Chocolates

Looking to woo someone special? There's no gift like chocolate, and there's no chocolate like this chocolate!

$150

Dog Training Book: The Backflip

Why stop at simple tricks like fetching, sitting, and shaking paws? This unique tome of wisdom will help you teach your dog the most spectacular of canine acrobatics: the Backflip! Amaze your friends, impress villagers, and laugh smugly the next time somebody asks if your dog does any tricks.

$200

Potion of Skill

Carefully brewed from a variety of things best not described to someone who plans to drink it, this potion is well worth the bitter taste. One draught will make you permanently more skillful, infusing you with enough experience points to buy a new ability.

$600

Potion of Will

This tasty concoction is light, refreshing, fruity, and packed full of arcane lore. It's like an apprenticeship in a bottle! One draught will permanently increase your magical prowess, giving you enough experience points to buy a new ability. Mmmm-MM!

$800

Tribal Warrior Face Tattoo

Strike fear into the hearts of your enemies with this magnificent facial tattoo, inspired by the intricate designs of the lost Samarkand warriors. Nothing says "ready for battle" like wearing the ink of the greatest warriors Albion has even seen!

$1200

It all sounds well and good, but beware, there is a catch. You are gambling. You will lose money and at some point you will need to borrow money. This debt can accumulate quickly if you're not careful. Playing the three pub games is the only way to boost your rating and unlock tournaments, but it can also lead to ruination. The way to earn fast cash is by winning tournaments. To get there, though, might cost you. Now, you can keep borrowing and avoid paying off your debt, but it's possible this could lead to dire consequences for your hero in Fable II.